Fox News' Neil Cavuto defended Republican House Speaker John Boehner from criticism after Boehner reportedly told Democratic Senator Harry Reid, “Go f*** yourself.”

Politico reported that in the midst of negotiations to avoid automatic spending cuts and tax increases that were scheduled for January 1, Boehner verbally attacked Reid:

House Speaker John Boehner couldn't hold back when he spotted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the White House lobby last Friday.

It was only a few days before the nation would go over the fiscal cliff, no bipartisan agreement was in sight, and Reid had just publicly accused Boehner of running a “dictatorship” in the House and caring more about holding onto his gavel than striking a deal.

“Go f*** yourself,” Boehner sniped as he pointed his finger at Reid, according to multiple sources present.

Reid, a bit startled, replied: “What are you talking about?”

Boehner repeated: “Go f*** yourself.”

On Your World, Cavuto claimed that criticism of Boehner was “not fair” and said the remark was “entirely justified” because Boehner “risked his job” by agreeing to raise taxes “without so much as a token gesture in spending cuts in return from Harry Reid.” He concluded:

CAVUTO: It is a wonder Boehner didn't curse more. It is even more of a wonder why the media didn't wish he did. That's not fair, that's not right, that is wrong. Would it ever kill us to get the other side of the story? Would we ever try?